Last year, I wrote a blog called “Without Beer … Would We Be Celebrating Thanksgiving?” While no one knows for certain the validity of the claim that without beer (or the need for it) we might not be celebrating Thanksgiving on the day that we do, the main point of the blog remains a valid one: do as the Pilgrims and celebrate with some brews!

This year, instead of providing you with some more recommendations of my own (regardless of how fabulous they are), I decided to reach out to some of my favorite beer authorities to see what frothy goodness they like to recommend for the big Turkey Day feast. You’ll see differences of opinion and personal preference within the recommendations, but you know what… that’s the great thing about pairings! It’s all about what you like and think works best.

So, from brewers to beer journalists, industry insiders to brewery owners, here’s Thanksgiving day inspired advice from some of the best minds in the industry today:

Sam Calagione; President and Founder, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: “We are gonna use two of our beers in our t-day dinner with the family: our Punkin Ale as a welcome beer and Palo Santo Marron – a strong dark ale aged on Palo Santo wood which gives it nice caramel undertones – to accompany the turkey. In general, with turkey or chicken prepared without a lot of sauce or spice it’s best to veer toward darker ales and lagers and steer clear of hoppy, acidic beers. Malty, full-bodied beers are rich and lush enough to lift and accentuate the subtle flavors of the bird, whereas beers with intense spice or hop flavors will almost certainly overwhelm the main dish.”

Julia Herz; Craft Beer Program Director, Brewers Association: “The main event: Roasted turkey with gravy served with amber ale or an amber lager in the Vienna style. The roasted and caramelized skin and a rich meat gravy really harmonize with the malt and lower hopped aspects of these beer styles. I also like a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings and Belgian golden strong ale. 2 years ago I went to a friend’s house for T-giving dinner and I arrived to impress with a bottle of Russian River Damnation. For effect I beheaded the cork (like they do with a saber, but I used the back of a large knife) and boy did that ever make an impression and a memory. For our veggie friends: Organic squash grilled with butter and honey, dressed with honey and salt served with an American brown ale. You cannot beat this pairing. Dessert: apple pie and Belgian tripel. And although I have not tried it I’d like this year to try apple pie with a weizenbock. It just sounds like it will work. Gobble, gobble.” [Editors’ Note – Check out BeerandTurkey.com for more seasonal pairings from the Brewers Association.]

Vinnie Cilurzo; Brewer/Owner, Russian River Brewing Company: “I like Belgian or Belgian style blonde or golden ales with turkey. The spicy, yeast character goes well with the turkey meat while still having enough mouth feel and flavor to stand up to stuffing and other sides.”

Gregg Glaser; Editor of Yankee Brew News and News Editor of All About Beer: “One of my favorite beers in the world and a perfect match for me with the entire Thanksgiving Day dinner is Saison Dupont from Belgium’s Brasserie Dupont. The aroma is huge — full of citrus and spice. The large, white foamy head and golden color of the beer are beautiful. The taste is magnificent and complex with malt, spice, pepper and fruit. The finish is long and dry. The full-bodied mouthfeel is perfect. All this stands up well to turkey, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes and all the rest that’s on the T-Day table. Even the pumpkin pie.”

Rob Tod; Founder and Brewer, Allagash Brewing Company: “I’d go with [Allagash] Interlude paired with turkey, cranberry sauce & stuffing. It’s a simple one, but the Interlude works very well with the character the Giblets impart on the stuffing, and the fruity/tart character of the cranberry sauce. Also works great with the turkey…”

Thomas Cizauskas; VA Beer and Wine Sales and Blogger, YoursForGoodFermentables.com: “For a beer choice, some gourmands have suggested Abbey-styles, hop-happy IPAs, or weizens. I disagree – these are too flavor-potent for turkey. I would recommend a sour (Flemish) red ale, such as Verhaegge‘s Duchesse de Bourgogne. The beer’s bright acidity enlivens the bird – so to speak – while its cherry-like fruitiness mates well with the traditional accoutrements. And like all beers, it has an underlying biscuity character derived from kilned barley malt, a flavor compliment to the browned turkey.” [Editors’ Note – Full Disclosure: Thomas’ first choice was Saison Dupont, but I told him Gregg Glaser had already chosen that one and to suggest something else. Thanks, Tom!]

Greg Koch; CEO, Stone Brewing Co.: “As much as I like creating beer and food pairing combinations, when I’m on my own time I tend to gravitate towards a simpler and more hedonistic approach. As in: ‘What am I in the mood for?’ I open the fridge and pick more from the perspective of which beer I want to drink rather than from analyzing the beer-and-food-factor. And you know what, I end up with a great beer-and-food-factor every single time. Go figure. The ‘let the Force be your guide’ method works. But let’s get specific for this coming Thanksgiving. Being a celebratory event with family, I tend to gravitate towards special beers I’ve been saving. In this case, I’ve got a Southern Tier Jah*Va Imperial Coffee Stout that a friend brought me recently, and that seems like an excellent way to help keep the tryptophan at bay. I’ve also got a bottle of the just-arrived Nøgne-Ø-brewed version of the Jolly Pumpkin / Nøgne-Ø / Stone Special Holiday Ale that we went and brewed in Norway this past summer. I think I’ll pull out an archived bottle of the Stone version, and sample them side-by-side!”

What great advice from everyone! I know I’ll be bringing some craft brewed goodness to the holiday table this year in addition to a couple bottles of wine, and can’t wait to see what pairings surprises who (get ready, Grandma!).

What sounds good to you? What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving day pairings, and what new choices are you going to try this year? I’d love to hear all about them…

And Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at WE!

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